CLOSED Kids’ Health & Good Nutrition Giveaway

With more food choices available to us than ever before, how do we make conscious and healthy daily decisions about what we put into our bodies? And how do we teach kids to do the same?

My family was recently introduced to the An Apple a Day Children’s Nutrition Tracker, invented by the brother and sister team of Dave Caggias and Lisa Caggias- Johnson. They’ve brought their passion for health and nutrition together in this fun and interactive tool that encourages kids ages 2-13 to make smart food choices on their own.

There are windows under various categories (fruit, vegetables, grains, treats, exercise, etc). As your children eat a serving under each category, they get to close a window. The goal is to close all of the windows by the end of the day, starting over the next day.

The tracker flips open like a laptop to rest on your counters, or it can stick flat on the refrigerator (if the surface is magnetized). I was really impressed by the quality of the tracker when we first opened it- not the least bit flimsy! It has stood up to my 4 kids’ “enthusiasm” well in the 6 weeks we’ve been using it.

It’s been music to my ears to hear my kids rattle off what they should be eating and my older two have even started to make their own school lunches!

When my 3-year-old still had 2 vegetable windows open after dinner one night, my 8-year-old yelled, “Let’s give her 12 baby carrots!!” They memorized that 6 baby carrots is a serving and still remind me of that often

I love how invested my kids have become in their own health- it’s because they can visually see what should go into a healthy day’s amount of food. We also love there is a treat category! They can actually see now why dessert after dinner isn’t necessary if they already had a cupcake at a birthday party.

See more about it here…

One person will win An Apple a Day Children’s Nutrition Tracker, which tracks the daily nutrition for one or two children (with 4 kids, mine trade off days using it). The tracker comes with two menu cards for children ages 2 to 8 years old, which are based on the USDA recommendations for a healthy daily diet. Menu cards for children ages 9 to 13 years old will also be included if the winner needs it. It also comes with a core card loaded with nutritious serving suggestions and healthy snack ideas to help you get started.

The contest will close at 8pm Pacific Time on Wednesday, March 28th. The nutrition tracker will be shipped anywhere in the United States. You may leave one comment every day, but if you have completed any of the additional entries, remind me in extra comments. Winner will be contacted and his/her first name will be posted after the contest closes.

Comments

I think teaching children where all food comes from. When growing a garden, reading labels and talking about how McDonalds makes their nuggets you let your child understand what they need to know to make informed decisions on what to eat. Recently my husband tried to take my children to McDonalds and they informed that they are not healthy and would like to eat something fresh and made from fresh stuff. That make me proud to know they were able to do that. All they needed was a little lesson on where things came from to make that choice.

I liked an apple a day , i voted, and im a follower on your facebook page plus im subscribed and like your truly insightful articles. To answer your question I have my 3 old girl, i tell her ” Its so good and yummy, You are going to grow I liked an big like the dinosaur.” I model good eating habbits and they tend to go along after a few tries.

The best thing I’ve found for teaching my kids about nutrition is having them help me in the garden and the kitchen. Things they would never eat from the store become exciting if they have picked them or if they have helped cook them. My three-yo ate spinach this week (which hasn’t been on his menu for a couple of years) because he picked the leaves, washed them, and after I chopped them, he added them to the recipe. You don’t have to have a farm, though, to have your kids help cook. It took me some effort to get out of my “get it done” approach to cooking, but once I relaxed a bit, it became a lot of fun to cook with the children.

I tell my kids that eating fruits and vegetables is as important as wearing a helmet when bike riding and a seat belt in the car. It’s safety and prevention!
My husband takes the offensive approach and tells them that goos nutrition is like ammunition for our body to fight off illness. He tells them each bite is like loading their “guns” to fight the bad guys in our body.
Works like a charm with our boys!!

A while ago. I read my 10 year old girls info about how specific vitamins and minerals help keep specific body parts healthy. They sometimes say things like,”well, this meal is good for my bones, teeth, eyes, and muscles.”

I’m Lisa, co-creator of the an apple a day Children’s Nutrition Tracker. Thank you for your comments! As parents, we are our children’s first and most influential teacher. As you all know from the comments I’m seeing here, children are “sponges” and really care about doing the right thing….and that includes eating well! When my daughters were toddlers, we started talking the way Lauren and Ann note in their comments – telling the girls that healthy food would help keep them healthy and which parts of the body the food was good for! It helps them make the connection between feeling good and eating right. Giving our children the gift of good nutrition, including the knowledge to make healthy choices, is not only one of the most important things that we do as mom or dad, but it truly is a gift that lasts a lifetime.

Connect with KidFocused

Latest Posts

Julie Samrick
Finally, someone’s speaking out on the increasing madness of youth sports. A former professional athlete turned coach, now father of two, was in my town last week on one stop of a national lecture tour

When I was 6-years-old my parents told my three sisters and me we were adopting a baby boy. When I got off the school bus the day of our much-anticipated special delivery my mom was there to greet us. “Meet your new

At long last we’ve found a happy medium. My seventh grader got his much-desired smart phone this summer and everything I dreaded about it hasn’t happened (knock on wood). He’s not on it 24/7 or even head down, zoned

By Julie Samrick
As political, social and religious wars rage around the world and we hear of the bloodshed of children, the most innocent among us, most other topics seem petty to discuss.
Yet the new

By Julie Samrick
I wanted to let you know I'll be taking a short leave from writing articles for Kid Focused while I work on a clean, kid friendly, novel.
I've always wanted to tackle a book and have finally found

By Julie Samrick
Three-year-old Joseph’s flu-like symptoms were the first indicator something was wrong. “It was odd because he was only vomiting at night and he was really lethargic during the day,” said his mother

By Julie Samrick
As we sat around the campfire last weekend I pulled out an old Girl Scout goody for the 11 kids in our party. My Aunt Tilly, she died last night, she died last night, did she die?
At first

KidFocused is Featured on Dr. Laura

Blog

Popular Posts

By Ann Van De Water
Over the counter "Swimmer's Ear" drops contain alcohol. The prescription is an antibiotic and does not contain alcohol. I learned this the hard way.
My daughter had been complaining of ear pain so I told my husband I thought she had swimmer's ear and that I'd make a ... Read more

By Mario Vittone
The new captain jumped from the deck, fully dressed, and sprinted through the water. A former lifeguard, he kept his eyes on his victim as he headed straight for the couple swimming between their anchored sportfisher and the beach.
“I think he thinks you’re ... Read more

By Lowry Manders
I recently heard author Bruce Feiler interviewed on NPR about his book The Secrets of Happy Families and as I listened I thought to myself, “I have got to get a book published!” He is echoing so much of the things I preach (and try to live) about how to create happy families in ... Read more